Mt. Whitney is the most frequently climbed peak in the Sierra Nevada. Because of this, the National Park Service and the U.S. Forest Service have implemented a permit system to minimize the impact of day-hikers on the Mt. Whitney backcountry.

All hikers entering the Mt. Whitney zone, including day-hikers, are required to obtain a permit. Ice axes and crampons are needed in spring and early summer, but technical climbing equipment is not usually necessary between mid-July and early October. The first campsite is 5 miles in at Outpost camp.

The trailhead for Mt. Whitney is at Whitney Portal in the Inyo National Forest. The site can be reached via the High Sierra and John Muir Trails that lead through Sequoia/Kings Canyon National Parks. The High Sierra Trail begins in Crescent Meadows and leads 70 miles to Mount Whitney. The John Muir Trail can be accessed at several points throughout the parks.

Directions: From Whitney Portal, Whitney Portal is 13 miles west of the town of Lone Pine on the east side of the Sierras.

Elevation: 8,360 feet

Ending Elevation: 14,495 feet

Distance: 10.7 miles

Difficulty: Strenuous

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